Ross Preece. Photo supplied.When the numbers were counted and the results analysed, Ashburton College principal Ross Preece said his students and staff had every reason to be proud of their 2018 NCEA achievements.

At level one, the college achieved an 82.5 per cent pass rate, 88 per cent at level two and 67 per cent at level three.

The percentage of students achieving each NCEA level was never an accurate reflection of achievement, however, because achievement was measured against student numbers on a school’s roll rather than students who were actually eligible to pass, Preece said.

Roll numbers included students who were on the roll for only a short period during a year, who were in special learning units or who were enrolled but absent from school for some reason.

“If you took the students who were actually eligible to pass, our rate would be 90 per cent,” he said.

Year 13 pass rates were always impacted by the number of students who did not complete their final year at school because they had moved on to employment and last year the college had a significant number who left for good jobs, Preece said.

A review of the way they work NCEA standards to more accurately measure pass is way overdue, he said.

When it came to results for students who were moving on to university, the college scored a 100 per cent pass rate for university entrance.

“Overall we’re pretty pleased with those results.

“They’re certainly up on where they were two or three years ago and they’re slightly improved on last year.”

Some of the improvement in level one was due to an improved tracking system on student achievement.

This allowed the college to identify early in the year the students who might struggle to achieve and the school could then work with parents and the student to improve the likely outcome, Preece said.

One of the biggest inhibitors to student achievement, and one that was more difficult to overcome, was parent-condoned absence, parents who were prepared to let their children miss days of school for no specific reason, he said.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 2 February 2019